The moment he swallowed the spirit body, it was as if he had downed a cup of bowel-piercing poison. Dahe Zhishui instantly collapsed to the ground, twitching and convulsing violently, his face contorting into an expression of extreme madness and agony.
The official realm walkers beside him promptly drew their props and stood in strict readiness. If the deacon lost his sanity because of this, they would immediately subdue him and notify the Hang City branch.
Their reaction was by no means an exaggeration; similar incidents had occurred multiple times before.
When a non-Night Wanderer devoured a spirit body, the backlash was tremendous. Exceeding three times would inevitably result in insanity. Of course, there was no need to be overly anxious either; when the time came, they would simply subdue him and escort him to the Hang City branch.
The Hang City branch would naturally invite a Day Wanderer to purify the corruption.
As the official realm walkers waited vigilantly, Dahe Zhishui's violent convulsions gradually subsided, and the distortion and madness faded from his face as well.
"Deacon..."
Just as the subordinate Scout began to speak, Dahe Zhishui abruptly sat up. His face displayed a mix of shock, terror, and excitement, his voice trembling as he said, "Quickly notify the Hang City branch... The Sixth Elder of the Southern Sect has returned to the Spirit Realm. A Dominator... has returned to the Spirit Realm."
The Southern Sect's Sixth Elder? That male corpse inside the house was the Sixth Elder of the Southern Sect? The official realm walkers present turned pale with shock, nearly suspecting their own ears.
The place they were standing in was the scene of a Dominator's demise!
A Dominator had perished here without a sound, and without causing catastrophic casualties?
"Deacon, could... could you be mistaken? Or could the information from that remnant soul be wrong?" In the dead silence, a Scholar named Liu Hongzhi probed in a hushed voice.
"The person who died here had the Spirit Realm ID 'Floating Dream,' a Level 4 Saint and a direct subordinate of the Southern Sect's Sixth Elder. His mission tonight was to bring a deacon named 'Jing' to entertain the Sixth Elder, but the person he actually brought was Yuanshi Tianzun." Dahe Zhishui pinched the space between his brows. While steadying his chaotic mind, he spoke rapidly, "He wasn't killed by Yuanshi Tianzun—he died at the hands of an Arbiter of Fate. And before that Arbiter of Fate arrived, Yuanshi Tianzun had already entered the hall alone for more than a minute. Do you really think that if the one inside the hall wasn't the Sixth Elder, it would require the involvement of an Arbiter of Fate? Would it require Yuanshi Tianzun to disguise himself as prey just to infiltrate the place?"
Hearing this, the official realm walkers were already convinced by their superior's reasoning, yet the shock on their faces did not diminish in the slightest.
"Y-Yuanshi Tianzun came for revenge!" A female realm walker was inexplicably thrilled and energized. "He came to avenge the assassination attempt. Heavens, he actually killed a Dominator of the Southern Sect!"
The solemn Scout shook his head. "The primary combatant was likely the Arbiter of Fate. Even so, being able to participate in a battle of Dominator caliber proves Yuanshi Tianzun's strength far exceeds our imagination. He truly lives up to his reputation as the foremost figure beneath the Dominators."
As soon as he finished speaking, the gloomy Dahe Zhishui remarked in an exceptionally bizarre tone, "No. The entire hunt took only two minutes. By the time the Arbiter of Fate arrived, the battle was already nearing its end. Yuanshi Tianzun was the primary force behind this operation."
The surrounding area plunged into utter silence.
A wave of astonishment and shock washed over them once more. The female realm walker who had just spoken murmured, "That isn't just the foremost figure beneath the Dominators..."
This was a Saint capable of slaying a Dominator.
How terrifying!
This sense of shock had nothing to do with factions; it was a purely visceral, emotional impact.
After a long while, Dahe Zhishui finally regained his composure and calmed down. A faint smile surfaced on his sullen face. "Yuanshi Tianzun is a monster. There is no need to fathom the depths of a monster. For us, the fact that an elder of the Southern Sect has returned to the Spirit Realm is what's truly worth celebrating."
Jiangnan Province was an active territory of the Southern Sect. Due to the presence of these Dominators, the official realm walkers were constrained at every turn. While carrying out official duties, it was not uncommon for transcendents or Saints to be slaughtered after inexplicably provoking a Dominator.
The Sixth Elder had been killed in Liandu, which was an area where he frequently operated. Yuanshi Tianzun's actions were essentially clearing landmines for them.
This was a tremendous boon directly tied to everyone's lives.
Furthermore, having an evil-faction Dominator perish within their jurisdiction was an accomplishment and a performance bonus, regardless of whether they had participated in the kill.
Liu Hongzhi, the Scholar, said excitedly, "I'll call the Hang City branch right away!"
***
Hang City, a five-star hotel suite.
Clad in a red dress, the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter reclined lazily on a chaise longue. Her porcelain-white feet peeked out from beneath the hem of her dress, gold anklets encircling both ankles.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yuanqing sat by the writing desk, scrutinizing two Dominator-grade props.
He first picked up a stack of Spirit Refining Talismans to inspect their properties:
[Name: Spirit Refining Talisman]
[Type: Talisman]
[Function: Spirit Refining]
[Description: Crafted by an ancient Illusionist specifically to counter souls. The six talismans form a single entity; all six must be destroyed simultaneously to destroy this item. Once deployed, they form a barrier that ignores physical attacks, and souls cannot escape from it. The chains condensed by the talismans can bind and refine spirits.]
[Remark 1: As an evil dao talisman, prolonged use will cause a drastic change in the owner's temperament, causing them to fall into the evil dao.]
[Remark 2: After each use, it will scorch the soul. Please use with caution.]
*Sigh, items from evil classes really are a headache...* Zhang Yuanqing felt both delighted and troubled—delighted by the potency of the spoils, yet troubled by the drawbacks.
The cost of an altered temperament was nearly impossible to neutralize, as it was not a negative status condition and could not be cleansed by the divine power of the sun.
Perhaps only upon ascending to Day Wanderer could one be immune to such a price. But once someone actually became a Day Wanderer, who would bother using this?
Moreover, the penalty in Remark 2 was likely far beyond what he could endure at his current stage. Given the standing of a Dominator-tier item, having his soul scorched would leave him crippled if not dead.
Zhang Yuanqing set down the Spirit Refining Talismans and touched the vestment radiating an ochre glow with his fingertip.
[Name: Earth Spirit Vestment]
[Type: Clothing]
[Function: Defense]
[Description: A robe accidentally left behind in an earth vein. Having been steeped in earth spirit energy for a prolonged time, its quality and functions gradually altered. Heaviness is its strength, as well as its flaw.]
[Remark 1: It will make your movements sluggish.]
[Remark 2: If you do not possess copper skin and iron bones, please do not carry a mountain.]
*A very standard Earth Monster prop. Let's see just how heavy this mountain is.* Zhang Yuanqing shook out the robe and donned it.
*Bang!*
His knees buckled, and he dropped to the floor before the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter in an impromptu display of filial piety. His shoulder bones cracked, and his internal organs ruptured and bled under the immense pressure.
*Fuck, this isn't defensive gear a Saint can wear...* Zhang Yuanqing struggled to lift his hand, pinched the hem of the robe, and stored it back into his inventory.
"Phew..."
He slumped limp against the floor, looking up at the Palace Master, who was stifling a soft laugh behind her hand. "Sister, this robe goes to you."
Musicians were fragile and lacked defensive props, whereas an Arbiter of Fate was a class capable of producing life fluid. Her self-healing ability was exceedingly strong, so she wouldn't fear the vestment's crushing weight penalty.
Propping her head in her hand, the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter nodded. The robe was indeed very useful to her.
Zhang Yuanqing then took out Little Red Riding Hood and emptied a pile of materials and federation currency onto the floor. "These are the proceeds from selling Pluto. You get a share. However, the Dominator-tier materials are already gone, so I'll give you these six Spirit Refining Talismans as well."
This had been agreed upon from the start: after capturing Pluto, the reward would be split evenly. But since Zhang Yuanqing had long used up the Dominator-grade materials in his crafting, he intended to compensate her with the Spirit Refining Talismans.
He understood very well that more Dominator-tier items did not necessarily mean better. When one's own standing was insufficient, even the penalties of Orderly class items were terrifying, to say nothing of evil classes.
The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter first swept the Earth Spirit Vestment into her inventory, then beckoned the Spirit Refining Talismans over to check their properties. She giggled softly and said, "I don't want these. For me, the drawbacks of using them far outweigh the benefits. Keep them yourself, or sell them to the Five Elements Alliance."
Zhang Yuanqing frowned. "But I don't have anything else left to give you."
The value of a Dominator-tier prop was simply too immense; he genuinely had nothing else to offer as compensation.
The Palace Master tilted her head, thought for a moment, and said, "How about this: sleep with me for a night, and everything you owe me will be wiped clean."
Zhang Yuanqing's gaze swept across her exquisite figure beneath the red dress. He began stripping off his clothes as he spoke: "That wouldn't be right, Palace Master. I have a girlfriend, you know... But paying one's debts is only natural! If the money falls short, the body will make up the rest. Wait a moment, I can finish showering in five minutes."
Five minutes later, Zhang Yuanqing lay on the hotel's soft bed, staring at the ceiling with utter disappointment.
"Palace Master, so you just meant sleeping innocently? If I'd known, I wouldn't have showered."
Beneath the white duvet, he was bound tightly like a rice dumpling with red strings.
The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter snuggled in his embrace, reaching out to caress his sharply chiseled face. She sighed, "When you were just born, this was how I stroked your face. In the blink of an eye, you've grown up—grown enough to touch your big sister's rear."
Zhang Yuanqing had been tied into a dumpling precisely because he had touched the shapely curves beneath her dress.
"I just used the Opera Mask and the Seal of the Thunder God, so my emotions were a little unstable," Zhang Yuanqing defended himself.
Caressing his face, the Palace Master took a sharp turn in the conversation: "Your mother wants to take you overseas. Since she hasn't been able to contact you, she came begging to me."
The romantic thoughts in Zhang Yuanqing's mind evaporated instantly. Annoyed, he said, "Give me a reason to leave my homeland."
The Palace Master looked at him for a moment, but did not elaborate.
Zhang Yuanqing snorted coldly. "You really did keep in touch with her. It was you who gave her my Spirit Realm ID, wasn't it? Why on earth did my mother go abroad in the first place?"
The Palace Master pinched his nose. "What do you think?"
"At first, I thought she was fleeing disaster, but later I realized that made no sense." Pressed against her soft, warm body, Zhang Yuanqing said, "If she fled abroad out of fear that enemies would track her down, that would make her utter scum—because she didn't take me, nor my grandparents, nor Auntie, nor Uncle's family."
If Ling Tuo truly came knocking, it would be an absolute extermination. Even the eggs at home would be shaken until their yolks broke, and every ant nest would be scorched clean.
As the dignified leader of the Dark Night Rose, he surely wasn't short on that little bit of Morality Points.
So Chen Shu's act of fleeing disaster alone—wouldn't that make her pure scum?!
After saying this, Zhang Yuanqing waited for the Palace Master's explanation. To his surprise, the woman simply chuckled, wrapped her arms around his waist, threw a slender leg over him, and grinned, "Then just treat her as scum. Go to sleep, go to sleep."
Failing to get an explanation, Zhang Yuanqing felt somewhat irritated, yet he was helpless. In annoyance, he said, "Palace Master, could you move your leg down a bit?"
"Why?!"
"You're crushing my head."
"Brat, how many women have you bullied with that thing?"
"It just took a shower and is pure as jade. If you wish to defile it, Palace Master, please be my guest."
"It's too small. Let it grow a few more years."
The two whispered back and forth in the dark, their ears and cheeks brushing in intimate closeness. Ambience simmered, yet both adhered strictly to an invisible boundary.
As they talked, the Palace Master suddenly said, "Let me sing you a song. When you were little, you loved crying, and I would sing to you. As soon as you heard it, you'd stop crying."
"I don't remember at all. Feels like you're lying," Zhang Yuanqing said.
The Palace Master huffed, "Your intellect hadn't developed yet back then, so of course you wouldn't remember."
She began softly humming a ballad, gentle and melodious, like a slowly drifting spring breeze.
Lulled by the soothing rhythm of the song, Zhang Yuanqing's eyelids grew heavier and heavier until he gradually drifted off to sleep. In his dreams, he murmured a faint sentence.
The singing paused. After a long moment, the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter replied with a tender, gentle "Mm."
***
Songhai Zoo.
Inside the pet house, Elder Dog squatted on the table, listening silently to Elder Gaofeng's account.
Once the other finished, Elder Dog said, "I'm aware of this. He indeed had the intention of seeking revenge. As long as ordinary people weren't affected, it's fine. It seems he handled it quite well."
Elder Gaofeng remained silent for a moment. "You didn't participate? How could you comfortably let him carry out such a reckless act?"
Even though the operation had succeeded, in the eyes of the honest and steady Earth Monster, Yuanshi Tianzun's actions had been far too rash and irrational. If anything had gone wrong, the outcome would have been returning to the Spirit Realm.
Elder Dog snapped impatiently, "Even the Grand Marshal lent out the Tiger Tally, so why wouldn't I be at ease? Still, for that boy to have grown to the point of hunting down a Dominator... it really leaves one sighing."
"The Grand Marshal lent him the Tiger Tally?!" Elder Gaofeng's voice spiked in sheer disbelief. "That's impossible."
Elder Dog replied flatly, "Nothing is impossible. Just kowtow a few more times and it gets done."
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing. Regardless, the Southern Sect's Sixth Elder was indeed killed by Yuanshi Tianzun. You can report it to headquarters with peace of mind," Elder Dog said. "I wonder what those fellows at headquarters will feel once they learn about this."
With that, he brought a paw down onto the screen, hanging up the call.
As dawn broke faintly, the official account of the Hang City branch posted an announcement on the forum:
[#Major Good News: The Sixth Elder of the Nihility Sect (Southern Sect) Was Brought to Justice in Liandu in the Early Hours of This Morning#]
Chapter 616